


Little Drabble Academia

by Onhiro



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Akko back in Japan, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Space, Amanda's Birthday, F/F, birthday surprise, family comfort, family love, toxic family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-28 13:50:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20427017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onhiro/pseuds/Onhiro
Summary: This is where my drabbles that are not part of any of my other universes will go. That said, if there is a call for a continuation of one of the drabbles found herein, their connection will be noted in their chapter notes.





	1. Diana Cavendish Gets A Roommate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set in a college AU that's not connected with any of my other drabble collections and that I might expand later...if I ever have the time...

It all started with an offhand comment from one of her friends while they lounged in the quad, enjoying the spring weather at the end of their first year at Luna Nova. “You’re lucky, Di,” the girl from Kenya had said absently as she peered through the viewfinder of her camera at the other groups of students, looking for a good shot for her series ‘Life on Campus’ for the school paper.

“Hmm? How so?” Diana had asked, just as distracted as her friend was, only with notes for the looming finals instead of a camera.

Wangari had taken a picture, glancing at the photo that appeared on the digital display before making a pleased sound in her back of her throat. “Well, isn’t it obvious?” she had asked, turning her attention more fully on Diana. “You’re a Cavendish, you don’t have to worry about having to live in a dorm your first year. You went straight to off campus housing. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I got lucky in that I was able to room with Joanna and Kimberly, but you should _hear_ some of the horror stories that float around.”

“I’m sorry, but let’s start over. What’s this about _having_ to live in a dorm room?”

Wangari’s eyebrows had shot up. “Wait, you seriously didn’t know?”

“Know what?”

“That students are supposed to spend at least one year housed on campus in dorm rooms. Seriously, no one ever told you about that?”

No one ever had, though a quick stop at her academic advisor’s office confirmed that what Wangari had said was true. Apparently, the university had decided that it didn’t want to bore one such as her with the tedium of standard campus life, and that did _not_ sit well with her at all. She made the decision then and there, and made the short jaunt over to the Student Housing office to rectify the situation, though she had rather found the looks of shock on the faces of the office staff humorous. They had probably never expected to see someone like her in their office, especially if the university hadn’t expected her to actually live on campus. Someone like her…Luna Nova was _not_ a cheap school to attend, not in the slightest. However, despite her family not being as wealthy as it once had been, she was able to attend it without taking out any loans. There weren’t many students that could do that. Even Hannah and Barbara had to take out some loans to cover some of the cost of attendance here…in fact, the one person she could think of off the top of her head who hadn’t needed to take out loans was the insufferable Amanda O’Neill. But Diana was fairly certain that pretty much _everyone_ knew who she was, though she oftentimes wished that they didn’t.

Diana Cavendish, heiress to her mother’s title, next in line for the Duchy of Wedinburgh, and her family name was attached to most major hospitals in Northwestern Europe, Britain, and Iceland. Not only that, but she was the descendent of one of the founding mothers of Luna Nova University. There was even a statue and multiple busts and paintings of Beatrix Cavendish scattered throughout the campus. So yes, everyone knew her, though she often longed for some sense of anonymity. Still, she wasn’t afraid to use her reputation to do the right thing, like with the living on campus situation.

It had been slightly too late to actually register for a dorm room, but the office staff pulled what strings they could and secured her a room for next year. No one could say that she was too blue blooded to live on campus in a dorm room just like everyone else. That night, she had sent a briskly worded email to her advisor, telling him that she did not appreciate the decision about the dorm room being made without her knowledge or input.

Hannah and Barbara hadn’t been happy with the news, but she had soothed their fears. They would still keep the upscale apartment that the three of them had shared their first year, as Diana didn’t expect them to have to get a room on campus as well…that was decidedly a personal decision, and she wouldn’t force them to live by it. And besides, if she ended up being roomed with someone she didn’t get along with, having a safe haven in the apartment would be much appreciated.

And so the academic year ended and summer was busy, spent at the Cavendish Estate and strengthening the bonds with the other noble and rich families of Europe, a task that she found tiresome but necessary. She was going to be a great doctor someday, and continue the work that her mother started before the cancer took her from them. Attending functions and performing the intricate dance of high society was merely a distasteful but necessary step on that path. She didn’t like it, but she knew she had to do it.

Then came the end of August and she once again returned to Luna Nova. Yes, everyone knew her here, but still, she much preferred it here than to pretty much anywhere else. At Cavendish Manor, she was under her Aunt’s stern thumb. At any high society event, she was the Cavendish heiress, the daughter of Bernadette Cavendish. But here at school, she was just Diana Cavendish, the aspiring med student. Sure, one of the wealthiest and smartest students, but she was still just that, a student. At Luna Nova, there was peace to be found in her studies.

She looked around the room that she had been assigned, taking in the upscale particle board furniture that was still particle board, no matter how nice it looked. The high beds with the drawers underneath them would also take some getting used to. The communal bathroom was also less than promising. At least her RA, Blair, seemed friendly enough though obviously stressed with hordes of students moving in at the moment. That didn’t prevent Blair from being star-struck upon meeting Diana, which was a tad exasperating. Braving the crowds of boisterous students, she had made her way up to her room on the fourth floor, and she was pleased to find her window had a surprisingly good view of the hills of Arcturus Forest. Overall, it definitely looked like it was going to be a challenge, and she would have to wait until her roommate arrived to see how they wanted to split up getting appliances like a dorm fridge, maybe a hot plate for a tea kettle.

Speaking of, her roommate hadn’t arrived yet, it seemed, and it didn’t take long for Diana to pack her things away. She had packed fairly lightly, as a lot of her things were still at the apartment that Hannah and Barbara still lived at, and she was only a few hours away from Cavendish Manor, so it wasn’t a very big issue to replace her wardrobe as the seasons changed.

She had put away all of her clothes and toiletries and had claimed one of the desks and put away what books she had brought along and setup her laptop with its security cord, and her roommate still hadn’t arrived. Was she going to arrive tomorrow, on Sunday? It wasn’t unheard of, but Diana definitely felt a pang of remorse at the thought. She was very much curious about who her roommate was going to be, and not knowing precisely when the girl was going to arrive was vexing. Not knowing things bothered Diana more than she cared to admit.

She had resolved to having to wait and had just started to crack open one of her books for some light reading when a group of voices from the noisy hallway grew louder and louder before a key was inserted into the lock of the door, and she placed her book down on her desk as she stood. The door opened and…

Well, nothing could have prepared her for the group of people on the other side of the door. An Asian family consisting of an exasperated looking mother, a bemused father, and a girl who she assumed was her roommate. They were all chatting animatedly in…Japanese? Korean? She wasn’t quite sure, but the girl was talking a mile a minute to her parents, crimson eyes sparkling with excitement, and Diana took the moment to gauge her roommate.

Slightly shorter than she was, with rich brown hair set in a half ponytail that bobbed with her energetic, bouncing steps, and her clothes weren’t too fancy but she looked very comfortable in them. Tight jeans and a hooded pullover with the school colors as the primary design scheme. Normally Diana found spirit clothes a bit cliché, but they worked for this girl. She also had a bunch of piercings in her ears, which kind of took Diana by surprise, given the more conservative dress of the parents. Diana’s eyes flitted to the guitar case resting on top of the cart carrying the rest of the girl’s stuff. So she played music, too. Interesting.

The girl grinned brightly as she spotted Diana, and she flounced forward, offering her hand for a handshake, and Diana didn’t hesitate to shake the offered hand, noting the callouses and confident strength of the other girl’s grasp. “Hey, I’m Atsuko Kagari, but you can call me Akko!” she said brightly in a voice that had an accent that Diana couldn’t place, but that sure wasn’t an English accent! For all that, Diana couldn’t help but grin in response to Akko’s enthusiasm.

“Charmed. Diana Cavendish, at your service.” And just like that, some of her high spirits diminished as she steeled herself for the awe, for the deep interest in her family name.

But to her surprise, Akko just gave her a crooked grin. “Cool. Digging the accent, by the way.” She glanced at the layout of the room. “Waa! Sugoi ne!” she exclaimed. “Just my luck, you left the bed that I would have chosen!”

“Akko, be polite,” the mother chided, and Akko rolled her eyes.

“Where’s the fun in that, okaa-san?” she retorted, and her mother sighed wearily while her father merely chuckled before glancing at his watch and hissing something under his breath, a brief look of displeasure flitting across his face.

“Himiko, we need to leave if we hope to catch our flight,” he murmured, and the mother’s face crumpled.

“Hai, hai,” she replied with a small sniffle before pulling Akko into a tight hug, ignoring the exaggerated ‘gak!’ that Akko let slip from her mouth. Himiko started to speak quickly and tearfully in what Diana now recognized as Japanese, and Akko and her father both shot Diana apologetic looks before continuing the brief conversation in their home tongue. Then Himiko was pulling away from the hug, and as her daughter and husband hugged behind her, she bowed to Diana. “Please take care of my daughter, Diana-san,” she murmured. “She is very headstrong and prone to mischief.”

“Okaa-san!”

Ignoring the protest, the older woman continued. “I trust you to treat her well, Diana-san. Arigatou.”

Feeling slightly awkward, Diana gave a quick, bobbing bow in return, and soon Akko’s parents were leaving with a grin of encouragement from the father and one last tearful glance from the mother, and then it was just Diana, Akko, and all of Akko’s things. A slightly awkward silence gripped them, and then Akko grinned again. “Parents, am I right?”

Diana ignored the brief pang of mourning in her heart, instead merely offering a slight nod. “Quite.” Then, noticing that Akko was staring at her more intensely, she quirked a brow. “What?”

“Nothing, it’s just…you’re very pretty, like…are you a model?”

Diana scoffed as she turned away to hide her blush. “Hardly.”

Akko hummed thoughtfully before shrugging and turning to pull one of the carts into the room, and Diana couldn’t help but ask the question that had been flitting around in her mind.

“My apologies, Akko, but your accent is nothing like I’ve heard before. Where are you from?”

“Oh, everywhere,” she responded, voice slightly distracted as she began to pull boxes off of the cart. “My dad works for the Japanese government, spends a lot of time overseas. I spent a lot of years in America, learned most of my English there.”

Diana tilted her head to the side, quirking a brow as Akko opened up one of the cardboard boxes, revealing a jumble of clothes that lacked any sort of folding or organization. “So why choose here? Why come to Luna Nova?”

Akko whirled on her, and Diana could almost swear that stars sparkled briefly in her eyes as she clasped her hands before her. “Because Chariot du Nord went here! I’m hoping to get into the music business just like her, and figured the best way to do that is to follow in her footsteps!”

Diana _almost_ rolled her eyes. “So you know the name du Nord, but you don’t react to the name Cavendish,” she muttered under her breath, but apparently not softly enough, for Akko tilted her head, genuinely confused.

“Well…should I have reacted?” she asked.

Ugh, Diana hated talking about her family like this. It always felt too much like boasting. “My family is something of a big deal,” she offered, tone flippant, and she wondered if it made her sound too posh.

But to her surprise, Akko just grinned that crooked grin of hers again. “Eh, well, back in Japan, the Kagari family is something of a big deal.” She offered her hand again. “Tell you what, between the two of us, the only names that matter is Akko and Diana. Sound like a deal?”

She was definitely blushing. Good heavens this girl was so forward! Still, Diana hesitated only briefly before she shook Akko’s hand once again, only this time the contact between the two of them lingered, hands remaining clasped perhaps a second or two longer than they should have, and Akko’s expression morphed into one of thoughtful interest. Then she grinned the bright grin again as she released her grasp. “Right! Well, this stuff won’t unpack itself!” Akko said exuberantly, and then, before Diana could react or even prepare herself, she took her pullover off and tossed it on the bed, and Diana’s brain stuttered to a halt.

Diana…_liked_ girls. She had _always_ liked girls. However, up to this point she had been able to keep any urges at bay, able to put any physical reactions away to the back of her mind. This was apparently not the case with one Akko Kagari. The pullover tugged the shirt that Akko was wearing underneath it up, revealing a cut abdomen that Diana’s eyes couldn’t help but stare at. Then the Japanese girl tossed the pullover on to the bed, and Diana’s eyes roamed up the torso that was all but flaunted by the sleeveless t-shirt that was _very _form fitting. Oh, yes, Akko was definitely fit, and oh Lord did Diana appreciate the view! Even the colorful half-sleeve tattoo that Diana recognized as the album artwork from Shiny Chariot’s first album didn’t detract from Akko’s allure. In fact, it only added to it, which surprised Diana, as she had previously always been apathetic towards body art. She didn’t care if people had tattoos, but they didn’t do a thing for her, beyond a detached appreciation for the skill that went into the artwork.

But on Akko…a cleared throat had her eyes snapping up to meet Akko’s almost smug, grinning face, and a furious blush took her face by storm. To her surprise, Akko didn’t say anything, instead just quirked a brow before turning back to her things. Perhaps she would be tactful and not mention Diana’s faux-pas. To her surprise, given what little she knew about Akko (and the girl’s exuberance), her roommate didn’t say anything at all, though she did shoot amused little glances over her shoulder at Diana.

Clearing her throat, Diana nodded to Akko’s belongings. “Do you want any help?”

Akko chuckled. “If surprise undies don’t bother you, sure! I just kind of threw everything together when I packed, so I’m not sure what is what, honestly.”

“That’s a terrible system,” Diana teased gently, and floundered for a moment when Akko turned another one of her brilliant smiles on her.

“I know,” she said with a laugh, and Diana couldn’t help but join in on the laughter as she moved in to help her roommate get settled in.

Her roommate who didn’t seem to care at all about Diana’s last name, who had totally caught her checking her body out but had the grace not to embarrass Diana about her slip, and who was stupidly attractive. Perhaps living in the dorms wouldn’t be as vexing as she had originally thought.

Then her eyes flicked over to Akko’s, ah, _assets_, as the Japanese girl was bent over the box she was unpacking, and a strangled noise clawed its way out of Diana’s throat, though she managed to disguise it as a cough at the last second, turning away to hide her flaming face.

Living in a dorm wouldn’t be vexing at all…if the view didn’t kill her before the end of the year!


	2. A Birthday With Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amanda does not particularly enjoy her birthday...too many negative memories of her family are attached to the day for her to want to celebrate it as a birthday. But then...is family just those who one is related to, or is family made up of those that one chooses to surround themselves with?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set in the canon universe but not connected with any of my other drabble collections.

Amanda knew she shouldn’t be doing this. Past experience had taught her aplenty what to expect, had taught her how much her family cared. She knew the score and knew it well…

…but despite that, she couldn’t help but be glued to her phone and crystal ball that day. The morning wasn’t too bad, really. After all, England was five hours ahead of Texas. It would be silly to expect any message at all when it would be ridiculously early in the morning for her family.

But then noon came and went, and she started to almost constantly refresh her various emails and text apps in the vain hope that she would receive a message. Anything would do! Even a ‘you better be keeping your grades up!’ would have been better than nothing, but nothing was what she got.

No ‘happy birthday.’ No ‘co-là breith sona dhut.’ No ‘wishing you well on your seventeenth birthday.’ Nothing.

It hurt. For Nines’ sake, she had saved the friggen WORLD, and was one of the Nine New Witches! But that didn’t matter, did it? Not to her parents. Not to her grandmother. Not to her aunts and uncles and cousins and siblings. She was nothing to them.

She was used to the sad, knowing looks from Cons and Jas. They had heard all about it as the date drew closer and hope and dread both grew in Amanda’s gut. Perhaps THIS year was going to be different!

But that was not meant to be.

The look of confusion on Hannah’s face was worse, though. Her girlfriend knew that today was Amanda’s birthday. But Amanda also knew that Jas and Cons had pulled her and the others aside a month ago to explain that Amanda O’Neill did NOT celebrate her birthday. Saint Patrick’s Day? Hell yes, she was all about that! She was actually really looking forward to the party they were having after classes. Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly and watching both Boondock Saints and drinking the Irish beer she had smuggled into Cons’ lab…it was gonna be a lot of fun, and she couldn’t wait. But it was for Saint Patty’s day, not her birthday.

So imagine her surprise that evening when she stepped out of the elevator into the lab only to be buffeted with a wall of sound as a ton of voices cried out “Happy Birthday!”

She looked up from her phone that still bore no messages from Texas with shock. It seemed like all of her friends were there, all of them beaming widely as the stood under a homemade banner with ‘Co-là breith sona dhut!” written in big green and gold glittering letters. She had only really been expecting Jas and Cons and maybe Akko…Hannah has seemed unconvinced when Amanda had brought up the party to her earlier, but EVERYONE was there, even Diana.

“What’s all this?” she asked with a confused frown, and Hannah came forward with a wide grin before she grabbed Amanda’s hands and leaned forward to kiss her. Amanda happily returned the gesture, ears glowing pink from the audience even as confusion continued to swirl through her.

Hannah drew back with a smile and a blush. “It’s your birthday, love, we’re both seventeen now! Do you think I’d just ignore that?”

Amanda winced slightly, looking down at her phone. “But my family…”

Hannah’s face hardened. “Amanda. You mean the absolute world to everyone in this room. Those rotten people in Texas aside, your real family is right here, and we all love you dearly. Now please, come and enjoy yourself. For me?” she asked with a slight pout.

Amanda only hesitated a second before she tossed her phone back into the elevator, trusting the protective case would keep it from getting _too _broken_. _Hannah was right, though, she firmly told herself as she wrapped an arm around her girlfriend’s waist and the two of them made their way over to where the others were standing around a table that bore a cake and a pile of presents, enthusiastically singing the birthday song.

Family wasn’t just those related to you by blood, it was also those who you chose to surround yourself with. And her?

She knew who she would choose, every single time.

With a deep breath, she blew out the candles on the cake while her family cheered her on.


	3. A Birthday Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akko is currently home in Edogawa-ku, running errands for her mom despite it being her birthday. While out and about, she bumps into the very last person she'd expect to find in Japan, much less her home ward of Tokyo!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set in the canon universe but not connected with any of my drabble collections.

Akko hummed happily to herself as she walked along the sidewalk, the drizzle that turned the day a hazy silver tapping out a lively tattoo on her umbrella as she navigated the crowds of Edogawa-ku. She wasn’t going to let the weather get her spirits down, not today. Today was special. Today was her birthday. And besides, while some might be grumpy that it was raining, Akko didn’t mind it too much. There was a certain charm to the sea of umbrellas that bobbed along the sidewalks, at the younger children shrieking gleefully as they stomped in puddles, at the almost mysterious air that the drizzle shrouded her hometown in.

If only it wasn’t so _hot_, though! If she had one complaint, it was the heat made worse by the humidity, she grudgingly admitted as she absently swiped her half bangs from her sweaty forehead as she continued on, brightly colored galoshes clomping against the concrete. It was at least 30 degrees out, and sticky with the rain. Absently apologizing to a small group of grandmothers as she skirted around them, she continued her way to the convenience store that her mom had sent her to. No Kagari was immune from chores and errands on their birthdays. In fact, if Akko had to bet, her family was currently putting up decorations for the celebration itself while she was out. Her aunts and uncles had come in from up north for the celebration, and there had already been some good humored teasing at her prodigal return from far off lands.

At that thought, her grin softened, turning almost melancholy at the thought of England and Luna Nova. It was so different over there, she thought as she stood amidst a tight cluster of her fellow Japanese as they waited for the crosswalk light to change. So much diversity there, especially in the school. It was also undoubtedly cooler right now! Probably raining, though…it definitely seemed like England had more than its fair share of cloudy and rainy days. Food kinda sucked, though. Not enough fish, and too much stuff was fried. Ugh, and the potatoes! Akko would be happy to never eat another potato her entire life!

But for all that, her time in England had changed her, and not just because she had reawakened magic or because she had spent three years becoming a professional witch. She had become used to the much lower population density, so even now, despite being _home_, she felt slightly uncomfortable with just how many people were pressed in around her. She was glad that she could use her broom and fly while on longer distance trips around Edogawa-ku and the rest of Tokyo…how could she have forgotten what riding in the trains was like? She had nearly had a panic attack the first time she took the train after coming back! _So_ many people! And after the diversity of Luna Nova…it was funny. She had almost expected to be comforted by being surrounded by her fellow Japanese, but ever since she came home, she really missed all the different people from all the different cultures that she had become friends with at Luna Nova.

The convenience store was busy, even at this hour, and she tuned out the hustle and bustle around her as she got the items from the list that her mom had given her before shooing her out the door. It didn’t take too long, and as Akko stood in line for the cashier, she occupied herself by translating some of the ads and items around her from Japanese to English. She was already talking to some talent agencies, including a few that Chariot-sensei had recommended, and hopefully would start her career as an idol soon enough.

The items safely secured in a bag, she stepped back out into the crowded streets, pausing as she looked around for a moment. Funny how she was _home_ but it really didn’t feel like it, did it? Aside from the few breaks that she had spent here, it had been three long years since she had really been back in Edogawa-ku. Was this what growing up felt like? Humming to herself as she shrugged, she brought her umbrella back up as she began to make her way back to her childhood home.

It was the end of the broom sticking up above the crowd that caught her attention first, and she turned her head almost incredulously. No way. It _couldn’t_ be! But no, that was definitely platinum blonde hair with tea green highlights that stood just above the almost uniform sea of dark brown and black hair. “Diana?” Akko whispered to herself, confused. What was _Diana_ doing in Edogawa-ku?! Apologizing as she cut her way through the thick crowd towards the taller British girl, she let her gaze roam up and down her friend’s body as she tried to come to terms with the fact that yes, Diana really was standing in front of her, dressed in casual-but-still-designer clothes and rain parka, her thick hair tied back in a ponytail at the base of her neck, her broom resting on her shoulder as she spoke with a police officer, both of them hunched over a map that Diana was holding.

As Akko drew closer, she realized that (unfortunately for Diana) the cop spoke only negligible English, and while Diana was doing quite well with sentence structure and vocabulary, her Japanese was very heavily accented and therefore hard to understand. The cop was trying her hardest, bless her heart, but the two of them really weren’t getting very far.

Akko’s grin widened as the thought struck her, and she couldn’t resist the urge as she came up to the two. Peering around Diana’s shoulder at the moment, she moved the umbrella so it covered both her and Diana’s head. “Ahhh, no, she wants to take a _left_ at the light and then _right_ two streets later,” she said, almost laughing at how Diana nearly jumped out of her skin. She _would_ have laughed if she wasn’t suddenly transfixed by Diana and how _close_ she was…

Those beautiful blue eyes that grew wide only to almost immediately fill with a fond warmth as Diana recognized just who it was who stood by her elbow. The blush that touched pale cheeks. The tendril of damp hair that had escaped the ponytail only to rest against the side of Diana’s face. The sheer relief that was clear to see in how Diana’s shoulders sagged as she gave a brief laugh. “Akko! Thank the Nine, I thought I’d never find you!”

_I thought I’d never find you!_ The words were like a jubilant kick to the chest, and Akko smiled as she tucked her hair behind her ear, suddenly feeling at a loss for words. She stammered a thanks to the officer, who looked extremely thankful to be relieved of dealing with the gaijin, no matter how polite the gaijin had been. Tipping her hat, the cop moved on, and Akko smoothly occupied the place the officer had been, still holding the umbrella over both her and Diana’s heads. “Diana, what are you doing here?” she asked with a laugh. “And why didn’t you text me?”

She didn’t miss noticing how Diana sidled ever-so-slightly closer, their shoulders bumping lightly, Diana looking about her with almost wild eyes at the crowd pressing about them. That’s right…while Akko had grown up with these crowds, Diana hadn’t. “Oh! Well, I wanted to surprise you, Akko.” She frowned slightly, looking chagrined. “I thought that I could find my way to your house on my own, but it proved to be more challenging than I had thought, especially from the air.”

“Well, you can definitely count me as surprised!” Akko said brightly. “Wow. You came all the way from Britain just for my birthday?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” Diana asked as she kept by Akko’s side as Akko started forward. She didn’t want her mom to start to worry.

“Well, air fare, for one. And how long was the flight? Seems a bit much just to visit me on my birthday!”

“Akko,” Diana started, her voice quietly serious. “You are worth far more than the cost on a ticket and the time spent flying. Of _course_ I’m going to come and visit you on your birthday. Oh, speaking of!” She paused, her brows drawing together in concentration, and she cleared her throat. “Kon’nichiwa, Akko. Tanjoubi omedetou!” she said, the words wishing Akko a happy birthday heavily accented but heartfelt all the same, and Akko blushed at the intensity of the emotion behind them.

“Arigatou gozaimasu,” she said softly with an almost shy grin, her hand searching for and finding Diana’s, fingers pausing for a second before threading themselves between Diana’s warm fingers.

The look that Diana gave her was almost startled, but there was only the briefest of moments before Diana lightly squeezed Akko’s hand. Their hands would remain clasped all the way back to Akko’s home, each step filling up Akko’s heart almost to bursting.

This was the best birthday surprise she had ever had!


	4. A Mother's Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short and sweet, written on the Diakko server, a direct continuation of _A Birthday Surprise_. Diana is a guest at Akko's party, and is introduced to Himiko-san, Akko's mother, who seems rather curious about the British witch who is a guest in her home. What words does Himiko-san have for Diana?

The first time Diana met Akko's mother, she was rather surprised by the experience. Akko's mother was slightly taller than her daughter, and was beautiful in a subtle way, not immediately catching the eye, but something about the way she carried herself drew the eyes back for a more appreciative second glance. Diana rather thought that her air of serenity was a natural defense against Akko's exuberance. Akko's mother was an island of calm in the midst of Akko's excitable demeanor and actions, and Diana just knew that it would take a lot to ruffle the older Japanese woman.

For her part, Himiko Kagari welcomed Diana into her household gracefully and with a polite bow. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter," she said with slowly spoken and heavily accented English.

Diana blushed at the words, glancing over to where Akko was chattering excitedly with other members of her family as she toed off her very brightly colored Shiny Chariot galoshes (that Diana had a much smaller pair of, a reminder of her childhood before her mother...well, from _before_). "Oh, the, umm, the pleasure was all mine, madame," she replied, and Mrs. Kagari laughed easily.

"No need for such formalities, dear," she said. "Himiko-san is just fine. Please, come in, come in, the party is just about to start. How was the flight?"

"Long," Diana answered truthfully as she made sure the house slippers were on properly before stepping away from the entrance and into Akko's home, looking about her curiously.

The birthday party that followed was enjoyable, if not chaotic. For most of it, Diana was lost as to exactly what was being stated, her Japanese not advanced enough to keep up with the energetic conversations, though Akko did her best to come and act as a translator. Thankfully there were other members of her family that did speak English, so Diana wasn't at a complete loss. Honestly, her salvation came in the form of the younger children of the Kagari clan.

About halfway through the birthday party, she found herself in a side room, surrounded by the children who were looking at her like she was a princess from a far-off land. Thankfully her Japanese _was_ up to this task, especially when they realized she didn't speak it very well. They took care to speak more carefully, and were obviously quite pleased with themselves when her aptitude with their language noticeably increased during the time she spent with them. Towards the end of it, one of the younger members ran into the main room, loudly proclaiming that they were teaching Diana-hime Japanese, much to the amusement of the adults.

Throughout it all, Diana noticed that Himiko-san would frequently glance over at her, crimson eyes a darker shade than her daughter's thoughtful and searching, and whenever their eyes met, Himiko-san would smile reassuringly and warmly at her. Whatever reason Himiko-san had for regarding her didn't seem like it was negative, so Diana merely smiled back.

Dinner was a more relaxed affair, and Akko sat next to Diana, grinning and laughing and talking, and Diana grew more relaxed, glad to have the witch she cared for more than any other next to her. Even so, she didn't miss how Himiko-san continued to give her those searching glances.

It was not until much later, after most of the extended friends and family had left to go to their own homes, that the two of them found themselves alone, standing shoulder to shoulder at the kitchen sink, washing dishes (Diana had insisted on helping with the clean up and didn't take no for an answer) while Akko sat in the living room with her father, the happy words of their conversation floating through the open door.

Handing Diana a washed plate to rinse and dry, Himiko-san spoke, voice once again slow and careful as she searched for the right words. "Your mother is proud of you."

Diana froze, plate held in her hands. "Pardon?" she said, her own voice strangled.

Those dark crimson eyes found her gaze, and had they always been so deep, so knowing? "Your mother. She is proud of the woman that you've become."

The world swam a little, and Diana made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a choke as she lowered the plate. "My...I'm sorry, Himiko-san, but my mother is..."

A sad knowledge, as deep and old as time in those wise eyes. "She is dead." She sighed heavily. "Akko told us, in her letters."

"Then how can she be proud of me?" The words were more bitter than she had intended.

A surprised look. "How can she not be?" A warm hand, wet and with the suds from the sink's water rested on top of Diana's. "Death is not the end, Daiana-san. Our ancestors watch from beyond, and I know from watching you that your mother is absolutely proud of who you are."

The plate crashed down into the sink as the first tear slid down her cheek. "Wh-what?" she gasped, and suddenly motherly arms were wrapped around her, stronger than she expected as Himiko-san embraced her.

"Daiana-san, your kindness is as clear as day. From what Akko has said...I cannot imagine your mother not being more proud of you, is not watching you with all the love you deserve."

The tears were streaming down her cheeks now, and shaking hands came up to clutch Himiko-san's back. "Mum...is proud of me?" she whispered hoarsely, and Himiko-san tucked Diana's head into the crook of her shoulder, the embrace so protectively motherly that Diana completely broke down, years of yearning for...for _this_ bursting free.

"Diana?" came the confused voice behind her, but before she could even turn to glance at where Akko was standing, another pair of arms were wrapped around her and Himiko-san, Akko joining the hug, her voice comforting as she murmured soothingly under her breath. Mere seconds later, Akko's father had joined as well, and Diana found herself surrounded by a protective warmth, surrounded by the love of family, the Kagaris all holding her as the grief she had buried deep away came bursting free. How long had it been? How long had it been since someone had held her like this? How long had she _needed_ this?

No words were spoken. None needed to be. All that mattered was that Diana had found the love from family for the first time in nearly a decade. All that mattered was that for the first time in nearly a decade, Bernadette watched with tears streaming down her cheeks as Diana was given that which she had been unable to give her beloved daughter these many, many years.

Warmth. Acceptance. _Love_. Lips that could not be seen whispered words that could not be heard. "_Thank you_."


	5. Amongst the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diana Cavendish is a Midshipman aboard the Imperial Star Ship _Claiomh Solais_ where she leads her officer candidate class. If only all the other Midshipmen were as devoted to their work as she was, but between balancing the watch schedule and her coursework and everything else that goes hand-in-hand with traveling through space in Her Imperial Majesty's Navy, she just doesn't have time to deal with the antics of some of them.
> 
> ...why did the worst amongst them have to be so _cute_, though?
> 
> Dianakko Week 2020 Day 6: Space/Stars

Amongst the Stars

“Beautiful view, isn’t it?”

Diana Cavendish, Midshipman training aboard the Imperial Star Ship _Claiomh Solais_, jumped at the unexpectedly close voice, and she turned to see Lieutenant Callistis, head of the Training Division come gliding through the air of the observation deck of their ship before she gracefully grabbed one of the handholds of the overhead, bringing her body to a halt.

Diana immediately began to spring to, a difficult trick in zero-g, but Lieutenant Callistis merely raised her hand as her feet settled on the deck, the thick braid of her dark hair trailing out behind her. “Stand easy, Midshipman,” she said easily as her face turned towards the forward bulkhead, the light from the view dancing across her face.

Diana only marginally relaxed, and she could feel a bead of nervous sweat rolling down the small of her back. After all, she was on watch, and she should not be lingering on the observation deck, so named for the LCD screens lining the bulkheads that showed what the space around them looked, updated in real time by the cameras on the various sensor masts that dotted the outside of the ship. Completely useless in combat, of course…the distances that space battles were fought were largely relativistic and actually seeing a live enemy ship with your eyes almost never happened, but the observation deck, the galley, the bridge, and some of the officer’s quarters had these screens to serve as a comfort to the Spacehands and Officers serving on the ship, give them something other than the metal bulkheads to stare at. Honestly, the only windows were located on the bridge, and for the most part they stayed sealed behind retractable metal armoring, only to be used for docking and landing in emergency situations. Ah, the wonders of traveling through space in a vacuum sealed wedge of titanium and ceramic and circuits, all built around the drive capable of sublight and warp speed travel.

But the fact still remained, it was Diana’s turn for firewatch and she was _supposed_ to be roaming the passageways, ensuring that all doors and hatches were secure per regulation and that there were no fires or other emergencies that might threaten the lives of her crewmates or the ship itself. Yes, yes, the ship’s AI would almost certainly catch an issue before she would stumble across it, but Alcor couldn’t catch everything, and if there was one operating principle of Her Imperial Majesty’s Navy, it was redundancy in systems, so that if any one system failed, it was supported by at least one other. However…as the Lieutenant had said, the view was beautiful. “Yes, ma’am,” she said softly as she looked away from her superior officer and towards the view surrounding them.

The overhead, the deck, and all the bulkheads had the screens, and when floating in the middle of the room, it seemed like you were floating through space. Drawing too close to one of the room’s surface resulted in red rings appearing around the projected point of impact so the visitors to the compartment wouldn’t slam headlong into the deck or the bulkheads or the overhead and injure themselves, but it was a large enough space to comfortably fit twenty individuals, and it was usually fairly crowded…but at Five Bells of the Middle Watch (or 02:30 for all those on the Terran Clock) it had been deserted until Lieutenant Callistis had arrived.

The _Claiomh Solais_ was currently flying through the Orion Nebula, and thus they were surrounded by the brilliant and gleaming swirls of purple and pink and blue and white, the entire view absolutely breathtaking, and for all that Diana tried so very hard to adhere to all the rules and regulations, she simply hadn’t been able to resist the temptation to spend a few minutes in the room, basking in the silence and the view and enjoying the rare moment of peace. It wasn’t often that she had the chance to be entirely alone, especially with how the other midshipmen of the Foremast Watch idolized her. Currently, Hannah England was stationed at the helm on the bridge and Barbara Parker was in Navigation, and oh, if Diana wouldn’t feel slightly guilty admitting that it was a relief not having them right at her elbows! The Middle Watch was the most taxing to complete, but it was not without its own benefits.

Benefits that it seemed like Lieutenant Callistis was also taking advantage of…

The two of them stay there in comfortable silence until the ship’s PA softly gonged out the three paired chimes that marked Six Bells. Diana sighed with regret as she reached out, snagging one of the handholds in the overhead, straightening her body so that it was parallel to the deck. “Ma’am,” she said respectfully before she pulled sharply, her body sailing towards the door set in the bulkhead, leading to the passageway with positive gravity beyond, and she huffed a little laugh of amusement as she sank feet-first to the floor. Stars, to have been a midshipman in the infancy of interstellar navies, when they were flying with tech that, by all rights, should not have let those old timers get as far as they did, but they had managed…even without having gravity controls localized to the individual sections of the ship. Ah, well, they crawled so that Diana’s generation of service members could _fly_!

xxxXXXxxx

The _Claiomh Solais_ was classified a frigate and was quite honestly more of a training ship than a true warship, and her class of starships had seen countless Midshipmen trained and graduated. They were well-armed, of course, as only a fool would send unarmed ships out into the space along the various frontiers of the Solomani Empire, but they were most certainly not full-fledged ships of the line. Their sensors were good enough that 9 times out of 10, they would have a very good understanding of the disposition of a ship that might become adversarial, and if it was too much a threat, they had the power to outrun anything that could clobber them. That 1 time out of every 10…well, they all knew what they were getting into before they volunteered. Being in a space faring navy was dangerous. They all knew that.

Currently, the _Claiomh Solais_ was a bit short on midshipmen, with only nine of them amongst the ship’s complement. Diana, Hannah, and Barbara were members of the Foremast Watch. The Mizzenmast Watch consisted of the infamous Amanda O’Neill (one of the very few of them who was actually born and raised on Terra and not from another system or from a colony) who swore like a Spacehand and had a temper like no other; Constanze Amalie von Braunschbank Albrechtsberger who was a true colony brat and who worked almost exclusively under Lieutenant Meridies in Engineering; and Jasminka Antonenko who was a Devorian, the species known for having near insatiable appetites and indomitable strength.

And then…there was the Mainmast Watch. Oh, the poor, poor Mainmast watch. Sucy Manbavaran was also not a Terran like most of the crew (besides Jasminka, Diana and Amanda also joined this group, though Diana and Amanda’s two-toned hair betrayed their Astrum heritage) but was instead Pulovian, her sharp teeth and (borderline) sociopathic tendencies trademarks of her species. She was striking for Research and Development and was actually working under the guidance of her great-aunt, Lieutenant-Commander Lukić. Lotte Jansson was arguably the most normal out of all of them, though that wasn’t necessarily a good thing…Diana would never admit it, but she wondered sometimes if Jansson had the intestinal fortitude to make it as an officer in the Imperial Navy.

That just left the one last Midshipman. Atsuko Kagari. More infamous than O’Neill was and filled with an energy that some stars would envy, she nonetheless…

How to put this diplomatically?

_Could_ this be put diplomatically?

No, probably not…

The girl was a walking disaster. Her augmentations were at least a generation behind, she struggled paying attention in their classes, her grades were atrocious, and if it wasn’t for the mercy of the ship’s Captain (and the result of several misadventures that somehow seemed to end up concluding in a way that was beneficial to Midshipman Kagari, though Diana wasn’t quite sure _how_ Kagari was that lucky time and again!) then she would have likely been drummed out of the program and sent home to whatever backwater colony or satellite she had crawled out from. Her only saving grace was that she was not lacking in spirit or in determination.

…and she was really easy on the eyes, too.

Diana blinked as she struggled to keep a straight face while trying to banish that thought as quickly as she could, hoping that the small blush that touched her face wasn’t noticeable as the Mainmast Watch strode onto the bridge to replace Diana and Hannah and Barbara. Making sure to keep her face strict, Diana waited until the other three officer candidates drew close before she glanced pointedly at her chronometer. “Mainmast Watch, you are one minute and thirty-two seconds late to your station. Do you have an explanation?”

“Oh, well, what had happened was-” Kagari started before getting cut off as Diana raised her hand.

“Do you have an explanation that would actually give a _valid_ reason for not reporting on time?” she asked, eyes narrowing.

Crimson eyes that hinted at ancestry that wasn’t one hundred percent Terran glanced guiltily at the floor. “Um…no, not really.”

Diana sighed wearily, pinching the bridge of her nose. “_Please_ be on time at the start of your next watch. Every minute you are late is a minute that my Watch loses in the eight hours we have before our next shift. Our time is just as valuable as yours. I don’t want to report you, but if you are late again, I will do so.” She handed over the tablet that she had kept the watch notes on. “There was nothing significant to report during our watch, our current position, heading, and speed are all noted. If you have any questions, we’ll be in our berthing compartment.”

Not waiting for a response, she started to walk away when she heard the low rasp of Manbavaran’s voice: “Way to be a bitch.”

She froze at that even as Hannah and Barbara gasped, and she whirled, quite ready to berate the other Midshipman. After all, they were all supposed to treat each other with the respect that they’d give any other officer, especially while on duty.

But Akko beat her to it.

She was glaring at Manbavaran, face white with anger. “I have _told_ you to stop calling her that!” she snapped. “Hannah and Barbara I can understand-” (that had Diana’s eyebrows furrowing until she realized that that was actually pretty fair…she had had to yell at the two of them for insulting the Mainmast Watch Midshipmen before…) “-but you are not to address Diana like that, not when she’s actually justified in what she says…or did you forget that it’s _your_ experiment that made us late?!”

Sucy just rolled her one visible eye and scoffed under her breath, and Diana would have laid into her for that as well, but-

“Diana?” she asked, eyebrows raised in shock.

Kagari blinked, looked at her, and then froze, face turning a deep red that almost matched her eyes. “Er…Cavendish. Midshipman Cavendish! That’s what I meant to say!” she practically yelped, and Diana looked around at all of them, noting the supremely uncomfortable looks on most of their faces. Except Manbavaran. Manbavaran looked apathetic like she always did.

Worse yet, the enlisted crew manning the bridge were all staring at them, as was Lieutenant-Commander Babcock, who had a frown on her face. “…right. Um. Kagari, ensure that Midshipman is counseled on being respectful to her peers by Lieutenant Callistis. I will check up on that to ensure that it’s been done. Carry on.”

And then she was practically running away, her long strides keeping her in front of Hannah and Barbara so that they couldn’t see her blushing face. Just why was it that her heart had skipped a beat when Kagari had said her name with such passion in her voice?

xxxXXXxxx

It was strange. After that incident, she started seeing Kagari in a different light. Yes, she struggled to pay attention in class, but that really could just be a matter of her augments struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of their schooling. Diana also knew for a fact that Kagari hated studying with a passion, but as their cruise went on, it seemed like it was far more common than not to see Kagari tucked away in a corner of the galley, tablets and projector globes scattered on the table around her as she forced herself to go over what they had learned in earlier classes. The level of mathematics that they had to have an almost instinctual understanding of would have been impossible for all but a very few individuals in the pre-augmentation days, and even with having that small computer grafted into their brain, it was hard to keep up. Diana had actually looked up the model of Kagari’s augment and had felt a sharp surge of pity. No wonder she was struggling! It was all that that little computer could do to keep up, and the fact that Kagari had made it this far was nothing short of a miracle.

Now, what hurt was how often Kagari was alone. Sometimes she would be joined by Lieutenant Callistis, but the Lieutenant was a very busy woman. Jansson and Antonenko were the only other two that Diana noticed with any regularity, and while their standings were good, it was obvious by Kagari’s expression while working with them that she wasn’t getting the most out of their study sessions. Well. That just wouldn’t do.

Thus it was on their Day 1 rotation where Kagari’s group had the Afternoon Watch from 12:00 to 16:00 and Diana’s watch didn’t begin until the Second Dog Watch at 18:00 that she swooped in and practically kidnapped Kagari the instant she was done handing off her report to Midshipman O’Neill. “Miss Kagari, come with me,” she had said, and Kagari had glanced at the others, obviously confused, but she hadn’t refused…honestly, she couldn’t refuse, not when Diana was the senior midshipman. And so she had come trotting after Diana as she strode briskly to the berthing. “You’ve your next watch at the Eighth Bell, yes?” Rhetorical question, really. It was a well-known fact that Diana knew the schedule and how each member of the ship’s complement fell on it better than even Alcor did. “I have the Second Dog watch, we have two hours. We’ll eat, and then I’ll tutor you until the start of my watch.” She glanced over her shoulder to see Kagari gawking at her. “Does this work for you?”

Kagari’s mouth clicked shut, and she looked to the side with a slight blush. “Um, yes, ma’am. I can take a quick nap before my watch.”

Diana slowed her stride so that Kagari could comfortably stay by her side. “No need to call me ma’am unless one of us is on duty.” She grinned. “You called me Diana before, what do I call you?”

Kagari made a sound that was remarkably similar to someone choking on their own saliva, and Diana couldn’t resist the opportunity.

“My apologies, but I’m not sure if I can easily pronounce that. May I call you something else?”

Kagari stared at her with wide, astounded eyes. “You _are_ teasing me!” she whined, and a blush touched the tips of Diana’s ears at how unexpectedly cute that was. But then Kagari’s face turned slightly red, and she turned her face away, mumbling something that Diana couldn’t quite catch.

“Pardon?”

“…Akko. You can call me Akko.”

“Very well then, Akko.” They came to a halt outside of their berthing compartment. “Collect your study materials, and we can go get dinner.” Akko nodded, still blushing slightly as she stepped through the door, disappearing into the berthing compartment for a few moments before she reappeared, her tablets and projectors in her arms. “Ready?” Another nod, and they moved onward, climbing the ladder leading to the next deck where the enlisted and midshipman galley was located. They both got their food and ate with military ease and speed before they got started, Diana glancing quickly over where Akko was in her notes, the translator in her augmentation allowing her to read the script that Akko wrote in. Ah, right. She reached over, fiddling with the projector, adjusting the settings and then swiping her finger through the holographic display, getting Akko to the right spot. “So that equation and the accompanying diagrams was for Raczak’s Theorem, not Raczak’s Sequence. Let us begin.”

It was at that point that she began to spend a great deal more time with Akko Kagari, and honestly? She would be lying if she said that she minded any of it. It turned out that Akko had a sharp sense of humor and loved to use it. Diana started to laugh more than she had before. Akko was also much more physical than Diana was, and while Diana could pass the physical fitness test with ease, she started to accompany Akko to the gym, and they both grew stronger together. Akko also cared deeply not just for her friends, but for the crew as a whole. Through her, Diana began to know the crew not just as names on a roster and skillsets to put in the best places, but as actual people with hopes and dreams and families. She had watched, amazed, as Akko had ensured that every member of the ship’s complement, all three hundred of them, got something special for their birthday, usually the little treat from Terra called a cupcake, made special by Antonenko.

She never missed a date, and had even surprised Diana on her own birthday with a cupcake that looked like it had been made with more care than the ones that the others got. Diana had blushed at that, and had then insisted that they split it in two. It took a surprising amount of convincing to get Akko to go along with her request, and both of them were blushing prettily as they ate the confectionary.

Other things changed, too. She no longer thought of the other midshipmen by their last names unless on duty, and comfortably addressed them by their given names when they weren’t on watch or on duty. That wasn’t the only change. Now, when she berated Hannah and Barbara for their teasing of Akko (which had very thankfully diminished) she did so not because it was the right thing to do per the regulations, but because she was honestly very bothered by some of the things that they said and had said about Akko. She felt terrible that she had permitted what teasing she had before. Likewise, according to a discussion she had with Lotte after the fact, but Akko had very nearly gotten into a fistfight with Amanda after the Terran had said something rude about the two of them, her words accompanied by a suggestive hand gesture. Akko had also more firmly stamped down on Sucy’s acting out, something that the entire crew appreciated, to be honest.

Then there was Akko herself. She wasn’t late anymore, and she was doing better in class. But…oh, it was hard to pinpoint exactly, but she just seemed so much more open with Diana than she was before, her face lighting up whenever their gazes met. Diana, too, grew more familiar with Akko, and now she didn’t even think twice for some things. The smug smirk that Amanda have given her just the other day when Diana had absently reached over and adjusted Akko’s uniform without pausing what she was saying made her want to punch the red-headed Terran’s face in. Well…punch her face in or thank her for making Diana realize just what she had done. It had seemed so natural to do that Diana hadn’t even thought about it…her hands had seemed to move on their own.

She began to think long and hard about what Akko actually meant to her after that…

xxxXXXxxx

Then there was the day that Akko didn’t smile. She also didn’t speak unless directly spoken to, and what words she offered were short and monosyllabic more often than not. Something was wrong with her, but Diana wasn’t sure what. Akko was acting very much not like Akko, and that really bothered Diana. It bothered Diana so much that she was unable to fall asleep after she returned to her cot in the berthing compartment after she had handed off a report to an Akko whose eyes seemed devoid of life.

Diana tossed and turned, unable to get the sight of Akko’s face out of her mind. Time dragged on for an eternity until the door to the compartment opened up, and the Day 1 Middle Watch came streaming in…all except Akko. Diana’s eyes narrowed at that, and she slipped out of her cot, padding over on bare feet to the three cot high bunk system that was occupied by Akko’s team. “Where is she?” she asked simply, her arms crossed over her chest.

Sucy paused in the midst of fluffing her pillow, staring balefully at her. “What’s it to you?”

Diana sneered at that. “More than it seems to be to you,” she snapped back.

Sucy glared at her for a second before jumping out of her bunk, feet bouncing on the floor as she squared her shoulders, glaring up at Diana’s face. “You wanna say that again, _princess_?”

Diana’s eyes narrowed dangerously at that. She was the heiress of the colony of Wedinburgh, but it wasn’t something that she had ever made a big deal of…her station in the aristocracy of the Imperium did not make her better or worse than any other subject. For this bitch to call her princess in that tone of voice. “You heard what I said. She’s been out of sorts all day, such that even Commander Finnelan noticed. Now you can help me find her, or you can shut your mouth and get out of my way.”

“You-!”

“The observation deck,” Lotte’s quiet voice broke in, cutting off Sucy’s furious retort, and the Pulovian girl sent a livid glare Lotte’s way, a glare that Lotte answered with a bland, steady stare. Diana revised her earlier opinion of Lotte in that instant…perhaps she did have the guts to be in the Imperial Navy.

“Thank you, Lotte,” Diana said before stepping around Sucy and heading towards the door, keeping a sharp ear behind her for the sound of any possible attack. She really wouldn’t put it past the other midshipman to try something like that. Then she noticed that both Hannah and Barbara were awake and watching, their faces focused as they met Diana’s gaze, and Hannah nodded reassuringly as Diana passed by their bunk. Then she was in the passageway beyond, not caring that her feet were still bare as she ran, soles slapping against the deck.

Sure enough, Akko was on the observation deck, only instead of floating in the middle of the room as was customary, she was huddled in the corner, sitting against the deck and bulkhead, her hair floating freely around her head in a rich brown halo. For a moment, Diana hesitated at the door, before she left the gravity of the passageway, and she softly closed and latched the door behind her before she kicked off against the bulkhead, sailing slowly through the air, her own hair flaring out in the zero-G. Her aim was true, but then, when wasn’t it true? Her trajectory had her landing in the spot right next to Akko, and she reached out, using her hands to come to a halt, body folding gently in on itself before she spun herself around so that, like Akko, she was sitting back against the bulkhead, her legs floating an inch above the deck.

Akko hadn’t said anything. Hadn’t even looked up, and Diana took a moment to contemplate her next move. She was most comfortable with words, of course. Her vocabulary was unrivaled, and her ability to string sentences together was without peer. Even Captain Holbrooke had conceded defeat in the last friendly debate and rhetoric challenge that the ship had participated in. But then…it wasn’t about what Diana was good at, or was the most comfortable with. It was what Akko needed. It was what Akko was most comfortable with. There was but one thing, then, that came to mind.

Diana still hesitated, though, blushing as she lifted her left arm, only to pause before she carefully reached out and wrapped it around Akko’s shoulders, ready to withdraw at the slightest word or even noise of complaint from her fellow midshipman.

None came.

Heart thumping loudly in her chest and stomach fluttering with nerves, Diana pulled gently, drawing both their bodies together, their hair intermingling as she tucked Akko against her. For a moment, Akko did not react, and Diana wondered if she was doing the right thing even as her palms began to sweat.

But then Akko sighed softly, turning her body so that she was pressed more fully against Diana’s body, the move sending both of them rotating slightly, and Diana glanced around them before carefully reaching out with one foot, oh-so-gently pushing away from the bulkhead with the barest of taps from her toes, sending them floating through the air of the compartment at a snail’s pace. And still Akko clutched at her, burying her face in the crook of Diana’s shoulder, apparently trusting her enough to keep them safe to not even lift her head to see where they were going when Diana had tapped the bulkhead with her toe.

Diana sighed softly, rubbing her hands up and down Akko’s back as she glanced around the room, taking in the view that the _Claiomh Solais_ was cruising past, a gas giant planet close enough that even the naked eye could clearly see the intricate swirls of its clouds, rings made of ice and rock rotating around the planet. Otherwise it was the always breathtaking view of the countless stars that stretched in all directions, sparkling and twinkling, the brilliant arm of the Milky Way stretching for an eternity. Content to hold Akko in her arms until she was ready to speak, she started to look from star to star. They should be in the Epsilon Eridani system, so the planet was likely Epsilon Eridani b, and the star that burned bright and orange was Ran. Her eyes grew unfocused as she ran through the computations compared with the star charts she had long since memorized before she carefully craned her head, searching. Ah, there it was. Sol. The light that she was seeing from it was only 10.5 years old, which brought a small smile to her lips. Space was infinite and vast, but here she was, seeing the light of the star that gave warmth and life to humans, light that was only a decade old.

She wondered if the Electronic Warfare crew had already picked up radio signals from Terra. The reception was surprisingly good, with music clear enough to be enjoyable to listen to. Sometimes, when the Captain was in a good mood and it wasn’t too far out of their way, they would come to a stop at certain distances from Terra and Sol and pick up the broadcasts from major sports events from decades and even centuries gone. It was good that the Captain let them do stuff like that, it made her much more popular amongst the crew.

Akko shifted against her. “Thank you,” she whispered, and Diana nuzzled her cheek against the crown of Akko’s head, hair silken against her skin.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked just as quietly.

Akko hesitated for a very long moment, and Diana was ready to tell her to forget it when she began to talk again. “Today is the anniversary of the Pegasus Disaster,” she said simply.

It took Diana a second to connect the dots. The Pegasus Disaster. When there was a catastrophic failure on a colony satellite eleven years ago, resulting in a 99.999% casualty rate of the citizens who called Pegasus-

Oh.

Now she was holding Akko with both her arms, squeezing her close as Akko’s hands fisted in the fabric of the back of her shirt. She did not say she was sorry. She did not offer Akko her condolences. She only said three words: “I’ve got you.”

Akko nodded against the crook of her shoulder even as Diana’s heart broke for Akko. What few survivors there had been were schoolchildren, and only because there had been emergency shelters in those buildings, hardy airlock sealed chambers that had managed to keep those children and their teachers safe while their colony collapsed around them. Pegasus Orphans were what they called. They had been dispersed across other colonies and back to Terra, but…

…oh, Stars, Akko had lost everything in one very terrible day, and she was able to keep as cheerful and as strong as she was? This young woman, this remarkable, wonderful young woman. Diana’s mouth opened, and she whispered the thing that she so very rarely ever said to anyone, for she didn’t want any pity, but Akko wouldn’t pity her. She would never pity her. “My mother died when I was just a girl.” Akko shifted slightly, arms squeezing Diana slightly closer, offering the same comfort that Diana was offering her. “It was from a disease…a terrible disease that was slow and cruel and had her waste away in front of our eyes. My father died when I was a baby, and my aunt and her daughters…they do not love. They do not love like my mother loved me. I cannot imagine what you went through, Akko, but know that you aren’t alone in having a terrible grief that will never go away, no matter how many years pass.”

Akko drew slightly back at that, and Diana realized that their hair had flared out around them, veiling them in light gold and tea green and brown, making this a moment just for them. Blue eyes met yearning crimson, and Diana…really wasn’t as surprised by what Akko’s eyes were asking for as she should have been, she realized as she leaned in, their lips meeting for the first time as they floated amongst the stars that shone brightly around them, bathing their love in their warm, twinkling light.

That would be the very first time that Diana was ever late for assuming her watch, and despite having the endure the knowing smirk of Amanda (reminder to self: start teasing the brash Terran about her _own_ activities with Hannah when she thought no one was watching…) she knew that she would be late a million times more if it was for Akko.

After all, some people were worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was actually my very first idea for Space/Stars. I mean, what better response for that prompt than to actually write them being space cadets, haha. Then, of course, I started that medieval au, and that just took over my life for the past few weeks. But I loved this idea so much that I just couldn't resist writing it, even if it was at the expense of tomorrow's prompt, which I haven't started yet, at 18:20 local time.
> 
> Whoops.
> 
> Well, hopefully you enjoy this story!


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